Posted on 03/29/2005 5:13:33 PM PST by SandRat
BISBEE - The Minutemen are coming, and Cochise County officials say they're ready for them.
County officials gathered around a table in the Board of Supervisors' conference room Monday afternoon to fine-tune strategies for the upcoming Minuteman Project and to set aside $100,000 to cover possible expenses connected with keeping a lid on the volunteer border-control effort.
As many as 1,000 volunteers from across the U.S. may show up in answer to a call to help prevent further illegal border crossings into Cochise County from Mexico.
Concerned about the implications of volunteers spending up to a month along the border and the possibility of trouble during two planned demonstrations, the Board of Supervisors called the meeting last Thursday to take the pulse of county planning.
Representatives of the Sheriffs, Planning and Zoning, Health, Highways and Floodplain, and Facilities departments answered questions and discussed preparations.
"We hope people will behave and it will go off smoothly," County Manager Jody Klein said.
Klein told the supervisors he had met with all affected departments to coordinate activities.
The Sheriff's Department will be the lead agency for the county and has been coordinating its planning with federal, state and local agencies. An information center will be set up at the Sheriff's Office, which will also be the point of coordination for all other agencies and the Governor's Office. Extra phones and computers are being set up at the center. Members of the public will be able to call in issues and concerns to the center by phoning 432-9500 or, in emergencies, 911. A separate number may also be available.
A single contact point will also be set up with the Board of Supervisors. Senior members of all affected departments will be available to immediately deal with whatever may come up, Klein said.
The phone number to call for those departments, such as Planning and Zoning, Environmental Health and Highways, is 432-9200. The evening number is 559-3601.
Permit requests have been received for two demonstrations at the U.S. Border Patrol station on Naco Highway on April 2 and 3 and one farther down the highway, at the railroad tracks. Those demonstrations will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Demonstrations are also planned from 1 to 2 p.m. the same days at the Border Patrol's Douglas station.
The gatherings may be held again on April 16.
No permits have yet been issued for demonstrations in Douglas, however.
Extra trash receptacles will be in place at the demonstration sites, County Facilities Director L.H. Hamilton said. He estimated the cost at up to $3,000, because the county will have to contract with private operators for the service.
"We'll pass on the sanitation costs to the organizers," Hamilton said.
"Enhanced" zoning inspections are planned to ensure compliance with county regulations, particularly in the corridor between Bisbee and Coronado Monument.
No large-scale camping or gatherings will be allowed on private property or any activity that creates a "substantial nuisance," such as traffic, garbage, raw sewage or gunfire.
"We're going to enforce all laws, rules and regulations," Klein promised.
"If a violation of 'an event of public interest' or other zoning violation occurs on private property, such as a gathering, we will notify the owner or occupant of the property and ask them to cease such activity," Klein wrote in a briefing statement. "If they fail to do so, or if we are dealing with a property owner to whom we have already advised of proper zoning requirements, we will cite them into the hearing office."
Speedy action on zoning violations was promised by Planning Director Jim Vlahovich, who noted that the process would normally take more than 30 days.
"If any activity reaches the level of creating a health hazard, the environmental health director, in consultation with the sheriff and county administrator, shall seek an injunction to abate the hazard and cease the activity," Klein wrote.
Deputy County Attorney Britt Hanson told the supervisors that the injunctive process could also be expedited, even on weekends. He said he would ensure that adequate staff will be in place to handle such actions.
Sheriff's Department Commander Rod Rothrock said that if trespassers or property owners do not cooperate, "Call the Sheriff's Department and we will come ... We'll make sure the people will leave the property." Violators will be cited and released but extra jail facilities are lined up in case of resistance.
Because overtime pay may be incurred, Klein recommended that the board approve the expenditure of up to $100,000 from the general fund contingency, to be disbursed at Klein's discretion. "We anticipate that ... there is a strong likelihood of state or federal reimbursement," Klein said.
If additional funding is necessary, the board will convene an emergency meeting to authorize additional amounts.
The funding issue concerned District 2 Supervisor Paul Newman, who said he wasn't sure state and federal agencies would reimburse the county.
Newman sought a vehicle for recovering expenses from organizers of the Minuteman Project, but was told the only way to do that was through the levying of fines for illegal activities.
Newman suggested that an ordinance be drafted to cover similar events in the future.
"It appears this event slipped through the cracks because there's no ordinance in place," Newman said.
Newman was also concerned about racist fliers that recently appeared in the county. Prepared by the National Alliance, in Phoenix, the fliers warn of a "non-white invasion."
He was concerned about the possibility of hate crimes. Rothrock assured Newman that the Sheriff's Department was prepared to enforce all applicable laws.
FYI, upwards of 2,000 per night cross the border here in Cochise County. The cost is horrendous, and can be counted in the bodies of citizens killed (5, so far) and illegals killed by dehydration or vehicular accidents (scores).
Okay, that deserves a letter to the Governor's office.
She's unhappy that 500 BP agents are being sent to Cochise County?
I'm unhappy that over 2,000 illegals per night come traipsing through my front yard. Who's enforcing the laws against the illegals? Huh??
Older post....this one hasn't been deleted.
Lots of good discussion of the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of government in this thread, so far.
Did it dawn on them to spend $100,000 on border control efforts instead. Rediculas. Spending money to stop people helping them control the border.
This country is absolutely nuts!
LOL, Old Napi is losing it, right along with Jorge.
love your tagline junta!
Regards
Add Wilmington, California to the list... illegal alien heaven.
bump^ thanks for the ping
Wed 12 noon Tx time UPDATEON MMP STATUS NOW
JC just called for me the typist to give all an Update.
They are in Tombstone area.
All is VERY quiet.
Threat from Navarro: Ca Professor Armando Navarro and his group of rabble rousers have backed off according to inside watchers info. And too much of official (FBI) watchers. Also due to Navarro is now worried about his job at university. There have been many complaints after his statements were made public. YAY
ACLU Threat: ACLU has distanced them self fom Navarro due to his wild racist statements and due to about 30+ FBI watchers in the area. YAY
Border crossings : Down to the barest of trickles. They do NOT want to cross with all the publicity and high presence of authority and boder patrol. YAY
Just coincidence 1: Border Patrol in MMP operation area beefed up by 500 -- certainly NOT due to MMP efforts or presence. Yeah uh huh. YAY
Just coincidence 2: Army Core of Engineers just happened to show up to repair & rebuild parts of border fence in MMP operational area.
you mean like this trash?
http://www.desertvisions.us/
No one
http://www.desertvisions.us/
I guess these "public servants," "law-enforcement" folks and various other morons don't get it that by impugning the charater of the Minutemen with and by nothing more tangible than the projection of their own enmity upon them, they reveal for all the world to see the content of their own character?
And expose their empathy with and probable loyalty to those who daily defecate upon our national sovereignty and daily defile our nation's borders?
WILD APPLAUSE from invaded California!
Thanks for the update, occutegirl.
Is Santa Ana still part of the US?
Does the open border lobby resent "camp wannabe"?
Sheesh (caramba spelled backwards).
Leni
"We'll pass on the sanitation costs to the organizers," Hamilton said.
Maybe L.H. Hamilton can stuff his own fat @ss into the receptacle along with the rest of the trash, and be exported...TO MEXICO.
U.S. Constitution Article 4 Section 4:
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,
See if you can guess which member of our Criminal Alien Lobby wrote the following, and then see if you can guess where he directs his loyalty.
You couldn't beat the Mexicans lead by brother Santa Anna at the Alamo - You're certainly not going to beat Mara Salvatrucha with a bunch of fat old ex-supply sergeants.
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